


First Impressions

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio), Gallifrey (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Developing Friendships, First Meetings, Friendship, Humor, Missing Scene, No Plot/Plotless, No Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: What happened when Ace showed up on Gallifrey? How did she meet Narvin, Romana, and Leela? And most importantly, what's inside her rucksack?
Relationships: Ace McShane & Leela (Doctor Who), Ace McShane & Narvin, Ace McShane & Romana II, Leela & Narvin & Romana
Comments: 14
Kudos: 21





	1. The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I haven't listened to any of the Time War audios yet, so if this stuff is somehow filled in later then I guess this is AU 😂 Also, please know that there are no major Gallifrey spoilers in this, other than the fact that Ace is there...which I'm assuming you already know since you're reading this. 
> 
> Anyway, I listened to Enemy Lines and found it adorable how all three of the gang basically adopted Ace and I really wanted to know how it happened. I pictured the scenes so vividly that I had to write them down! Hope you enjoy! :)

Finally, a quiet day.

It wasn't often that these came about, the days when Narvin could simply sit in his office and do paperwork. Nothing to fret over, no major crises, just old, boring, wonderful paperwork.

So when his communicator blipped, Narvin considered not answering it. But duty kicked in a moment later and he repressed a sigh as he answered the call.

"Yes, what is it?”

"Coordinator Narvin, there’s been an unauthorised materialisation in the TARDIS Bay.”

It took a moment for Narvin to place the voice: a man named Timith, rather new to the Chancellery Guard.

“Have you checked it through the records to see who it belongs to?”

"Doing that now, sir. It will take a moment."

Narvin huffed and shot to his feet, beginning a brisk pace toward the TARDIS Bay. "I'm on my way there. Stay with me and tell me what's going on."

"The TARDIS has just fully materialised. Its…its chameleon circuit seems to be broken…"

Narvin had the urge to stop and beat his head against the wall. "Oh no." He hurried his pace. "Is anything happening?" He broke into a sprint—well, as close to a sprint as his robes would allow.

"Not yet. We have confirmed the TARDIS as belonging to—”

"Yes, I know.” He pushed himself to go faster. Almost there…

Finally, Narvin entered the TARDIS Bay. Several members of the Chancellery Guard were surrounding an incongruous blue police box.

"Just as I thought,” Narvin muttered, stopping just outside the circle of guards.

The door of the police box creaked open. The guards raised their weapons. A young woman stepped out wearing a wide smile that faded as soon as she took in the hostile scene.

"Oi, Doctor!" she called back into the TARDIS. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Narvin couldn't hear the reply, but a moment later the woman shrugged and stepped away from the TARDIS, nearly touching one of the stasers pointed at her. Didn’t she realise where she was?

She closed the door behind her. Before Narvin could wonder when the Doctor would follow her, the TARDIS began to dematerialise.

"Wait!" Narvin called, though he already knew it was far too late. In a few nanospans the TARDIS was gone, leaving only the girl who wore rather strange clothing and carried a large rucksack on her back.

One of the guards closest to the girl spoke tersely. "Identify yourself."

She raised her arms. "All right! I’m Ace."

Another guard spoke up. "Scans identify her as…human, sir."

"Human?" Narvin muttered to himself. He knew, of course, that the Doctor liked to travel with humans, but why leave one here?

"The Doctor sent me," Ace continued. "You know the Doctor, right?"

Several of the guards exchanged uncomfortable glances. Every time lord knew of the Doctor.

"Let me through,” Narvin said, pushing forward so he could speak to the girl face to face. The guards split ranks to allow him passage. "The President should know about this."

Ace’s eyes widened as she met Narvin’s gaze. "I get to meet the President? Cool!”

Narvin tried to speak with more than usual dignity to counteract her strange Earth slang. He stood across from her and clasped his hands behind his back, straightening to his full height. “I am Narvin, Coordinator of the CIA."

"CIA?" Ace is brow wrinkled but she let out a chuckle. "I thought they only had that in America."

"Celestial Intervention Agency,” Narvin clarified.

"What do you do, meddle like the Doctor does?"

Narvin could _just_ hear the sharp intakes of breath from the surrounding guards. Irritation flared inside of him and he frowned. The last hint of amiability disappeared from his tone.

"We don't _meddle_ and we have much more tact than the Doctor.”

Ace, however, didn’t seem to be bothered. ”All right, just asking a question. So, where am I staying?" She slid her thumbs underneath the straps of her rucksack, grinning like she had just arrived at a holiday resort rather than a planet home to the most sophisticated race in the universe.

Narvin blinked in surprise. This girl showed up with no explanation whatsoever and just expected to stay?

"You're not staying anywhere. I'm going to prepare a TARDIS to have you taken back to Earth immediately.”

"Take me—?” Her face twisted with rage and she took a step toward Narvin. He heard several clicks as the guards around him armed their stasers, but Ace didn’t even seem to notice or just didn’t care.

"Listen here, you scumbag! I'm not going anywhere. The Doctor sent me for a reason.”

Narvin grit his teeth and leaned forward onto his toes. "And would you _care_ to tell us what exactly that reason is?"

Her expression was carved in steel, nostrils flared with disdain. "He gave me a letter for someone called Romana. Not _you."_

"Fine." He didn't want to deal with this girl for one second longer. He reached for his communicator without breaking eye contact with Ace and paged Romana’s secretary. "This is Coordinator Narvin. I need to see the President. Immediately.”


	2. The Letter

Romana didn't look up as the door to her office whirred open. She had a mind to give Narvin a lecture – the reason why she _had_ a schedule so that she could keep to it, not so that people could just shuffle things around and barge in whenever they wanted.

"This had better be good, Narvin." She finally glanced up and watched a young woman trail in behind the Coordinator of the CIA. She sported Earth clothing and looked around the office like it was a brand new planet.

Romana stood and walked around to the front of her desk. "Hello, I don't believe we've met."

Narvin began in a business-like tone, “Madame President, this is—”

The woman stepped in front of Narvin with a smile, seeming completely at ease. "I can speak for myself, thanks. I’m Ace.” She stuck out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Madame President.”

The look on Narvin’s face was absolutely priceless but Romana carefully kept her expression neutral as she shook Ace’s hand. “And you.” Before she could ask the obvious question, Ace continued:

"The Doctor sent me." She dumped a rucksack unceremoniously on the ground and started digging inside it.

"The Doctor?" Equal parts annoyance and excitement flashed through her. "Is he here?"

“No, my lady," Narvin replied. "He simply dropped Ace off in the TARDIS Bay and disappeared without any explanation."

"Well," Romana said with a huff, “that certainly sounds like him."

"Aha!" Ace pulled a rumpled sheet of paper from her rucksack and handed it to Romana. "Sorry, it got a bit crushed."

Romana took the letter and opened it, flattening it out on her desk.

_Romana—or should I say Madame President?_

_I'm sending Ace to you to serve Gallifrey in whatever function you see fit. I need to be on my own for a while, and Ace has nowhere to go – she has no attachments on Earth, or anywhere else in the universe for that matter. I think she could be useful to you – she's excellent in a crisis and brave as they come. Perhaps there will even come a time when you'll need her._

Romana nearly rolled her eyes at his vagueness. Did he know something?

_Look after her for me, Romana. I'll find her again when it's time…or she'll find me._

_Forgive me for not staying to chat, but you know how I feel about all the pomp and circumstance._

_Yours,_

_The Doctor_

_P.S. Search her rucksack._

Romana sighed and looked up in askance. What was the Doctor playing at, sending them a human to babysit? Did he really think she could find a home among time lords?

But then…one human already _had_ made a place for herself here. And Romana didn’t know what she’d do without her.

“Narvin, wait outside while I talk to Ace."

His expression fell and for a moment she thought he would protest, but finally his shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. "Very well, my lady." He walked out of the room and Ace smirked as she watched him go.

"Is he always like that?"

"Worse, sometimes." Romana returned to the seat behind her desk. "Don't mind Narvin. He's not always accepting of change, but he'll come around."

Ace’s expression brightened and she fell leisurely into a chair across from Romana. "So I can stay?”

Romana glanced at the Doctor’s letter again, focusing on the phrase: _“Look after her for me.”_

"The Doctor seems to think we need you. Did he tell you anything before he brought you here?"

"Nope! Normal mysterious stuff. Started talking about bringing me here and wouldn't let it go." Crinkles formed between her eyebrows and she stared down at Romana’s desk. “I reckon he probably just wanted to get rid of me for a while."

Romana felt pity for her. Ace had already shown that she was tough as nails—but inside was that same desire that all companions of the Doctor carried, whether openly or secretly: to be wanted and needed by him. To feel valued and not just like another companion to ward off the loneliness.

She spoke quickly to try and battle Ace’s melancholy. “Well, I doubt that's true. He speaks very highly of you in his letter."

It seemed to cheer her up, if only a little. "Well, that's a relief." She paused. "Look – I know I'm not a time lord, but the Doctor seems to think I can do something here, and I believe him. I'll even sweep the floors if I have to, just please don't send me back to Earth." There was a desperate plea in her eyes even more powerful than her words. "There's nothing for me there."

Romana briefly chuckled. "I won't reduce you to doing a robot’s job, certainly." An idea started to form…but there were several people, one particular coordinator included, that wouldn’t like it. "No, I have something much better in mind for you.” She smiled as she met Ace’s eyes. “How would you feel about being trained as a CIA agent?”

Ace’s eyes bulged. “An agent? CIA? Wait…” She frowned. “Isn’t that what old stick-in-the-mud is in charge of?” she asked, pointing her thumb back toward the door.

“Yes,” Romana replied, dragging out the word, “but I think you two will like each other. Just give him some time.”

“Hm…” Ace’s eyes rolled toward the ceiling and she seemed to mull it over as if she were the one in charge. “What would I do, exactly?”

“Rather the same thing you’ve been doing with the Doctor, I expect.”

“I knew it,” Ace muttered under her breath.

“You’d be a field agent, sent out on missions across the universe to restore order and prevent disaster.”

“Wicked!” She grinned. “When do I start?”

“Well, we need to break it to Narvin first.” She contacted him through his communicator. “Narvin, you may come back in.”

Narvin stepped through the door and humbly clasped his hands behind his back. “Yes, my lady?”

“I want you to take Ace to the CIA Tower and show her around. Tomorrow, she will begin her training as a field agent.”

Narvin’s mouth dropped open. Ace looked back at him over her shoulder, still smiling. “Aw, cheer up, Narvin, you get to be my boss!”

“But—but, my lady…”

Romana let him splutter and grasp for words, rather enjoying one of the rare occasions when he didn’t know what to say.

“Are you _sure?_ She’s…she’s _human,”_ he decided on, which Romana instantly knew was a mistake. She watched Ace’s expression change in a single moment. She jumped up and faced Narvin.

“Yeah? I bet I could beat you at just about anything, you ratty old time lord.”

 _“Please,”_ Romana said, rising to her feet and walking over to them before someone (Narvin) got physically injured. She settled a hand on Ace’s shoulder and looked her in the eye. “Ace, I need you to listen to Narvin. He is, as you said, your ‘boss.’”

Ace managed to look humbled and scuffed the toe of her boot on the carpet. “Yeah, all right, as long as he doesn’t go around spouting all this ‘But she’s a human!’ nonsense.”

“Narvin,” Romana said, injecting more authority into her tone as she turned to him. “You are to treat Ace no differently than any other agent that’s come through your doors. Do you understand?”

She watched as he swallowed up all of his pride and pressed his mouth into a thin line. “Yes, Madame President.”

But she saw through his careful composure. At some point later, when Ace wasn’t around and they met as friends rather than in an official capacity, she would get an earful.

That was for later. Now, things were settled and there was nothing he could do about it. All she had to do was smooth over Ace’s presence with the High Council…

“You may both go. Ace,” she said, meeting her eyes with a warm smile, “good luck. I’ll be looking forward to hearing of your progress.”

Ace gave her a hasty salute. “Yes, ma’am!” She made her way cheerily out of Romana’s office.

“And Narvin,” Romana added in a lower voice as Narvin made to follow her. “Check her rucksack.”

Narvin frowned inquisitively but nodded, then exited the office. As the door whirred closed behind him, Romana stood there for a moment.

She sincerely hoped she had done the right thing.


	3. The Nitro-9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all knew it was coming ;)

Leela waited in the CIA tower.

No one dared to question why she was there or why she sat in Narvin’s office. If anyone looked like they were about to, she fixed a stare on them that quickly sent them away.

She let out a long sigh. It was several minutes past when Narvin had told her to come to retrieve a brief on an upcoming mission. She’d asked an agent where he was, but the man simply said he’d left in a hurry some time ago.

Just as Leela was contemplating practising her knife throwing on the office wall, she heard Narvin’s voice approaching; he was using his “business tone.” Leela stood just as Narvin entered. His eyebrows shot high onto his forehead.

“Leela? What are you doing here?"

A girl appeared beside Narvin and grinned. “Who’s this, your girlfriend?”

Leela took in the stranger’s posture, relaxed and unaffected. She wore strange clothes and there was a friendly smile on her face. Compared to Narvin, who was standing straight with the muscles in his jaw tight, she looked a completely opposite picture.

“I am a woman,” Leela replied, “not a girl. But I am his friend.”

Narvin’s cheeks reddened and he sucked in a long breath before he replied, “Ace, I will remind you that—”

“Is that a yes, then?” The woman—Ace—chuckled.

Narvin turned on her. “If you really expect to be a qualified CIA agent, you’re going to have to show some ounce of respect.”

Ace’s lips turned down in a frown as she met Narvin’s stare. Leela could feel the tension in the air and braced herself for whatever might happen next. But when Narvin didn’t give, Ace finally looked away. Narvin relaxed a little and faced Leela. “Ace, this is Leela,” he said in a very controlled voice. “She’s human as well, and while she doesn’t officially work for the CIA, she helps Romana and me keep Gallifrey in one piece.”

“You would do well not to make me as angry as you have just made Narvin. He uses words; I prefer actions.” She rested her hand on her knife in case Ace doubted her word. The shadow of a smile passed over Narvin’s lips.

Ace’s eyes widened and she held her hands up in surrender. “All right, it was just a joke.” Her expression slackened and she reached out a hand toward Leela. “Sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Ace. Human, the Doctor’s friend, all of that stuff."

Leela remembered the Doctor teaching her about this ritual called a “handshake.” She performed it the best she could and she must have done it right because Ace smiled.

“I also travelled with the Doctor,” Leela said.

“Seriously?” All at once, Ace’s face fell. “He never let me carry a knife,” she muttered.

“Well, if the introductions are over,” Narvin cut in, “I really need to show Ace around.”

Leela suddenly recalled why she was here in the first place. “You said you had papers you needed to share with me?”

Narvin groaned and dragged a hand over his face. "I got called away when Ace arrived. I still haven't finished putting the data together.”

“I can show her the tower while you finish.” She wanted to observe this girl for herself. “I have been here many times and know it just as well as you do.”

Narvin hesitated but finally nodded. “Fine. Just…” He seemed to be at a loss for what to say. “Be careful,” he decided on, giving Leela a meaningful look, one that said, “ _No murders today, please.”_

 _No promises,_ Leela thought to herself, only mostly joking.

"Oh and Ace, leave your rucksack here,” Narvin continued as he walked past Leela and sat down at his desk.

“Why?”

"You don't need it right now, do you?"

Ace hefted the straps of the rucksack higher on her shoulders. ”I like to keep it with me."

Narvin raised an eyebrow. ”And I like to check everything that appears on Gallifrey with no explanation.”

Leela trained a hard stare on Ace. She obviously pretended not to notice.

“All right, you win.” She set her bag on the ground slowly, hesitantly, like she was still considering not letting go of it.

"Just be careful with it, please.”

Narvin flashed her a tight smile. “Don't worry. I will be.”

Ace rolled her eyes as she turned and walked out of the office. Leela quickly caught up, noticing Ace’s name emblazoned across the back of her jacket. That was strange.

Leela took the lead down the nearest corridor. It was silent. She watched Ace walk with purpose beside her as if she wasn’t quite willing to let Leela lead her entirely. If Leela wanted to, she could pin this girl against the wall and knock some of the pride out of her.

But if Ace had travelled with the Doctor, he must have seen something special in her. Leela realised that she should try to see it too.

“How did you come to be on Gallifrey?” Leela asked.

Ace shrugged. “Dunno, really. The Doctor just said he wanted me here and dropped me off." She paused, casting a glance Leela’s way. "What about you? It seems like you’ve been here a while.”

“Yes, it has been a very long time.” Leela hadn’t kept track, but what she did know was that if Gallifrey hadn’t extended her lifespan, she would have been dead long ago. Sometimes, that thought bothered her. “The Doctor brought me here. I fell in love with a time lord and decided to stay.”

Ace’s steps stuttered to a stop. Leela paused beside her.

“Wow,” Ace said, blinking with surprise and looking Leela over. “No offence, but you don't seem like the settling down and getting married type.” She frowned. “Then again, I didn’t know that time lords did that either.”

Leela chuckled and continued walking. Ace fell in step beside her again. “You think I am not capable of love because of my appearance?”

“No, I…” She fiddled with the zipper on her jacket. “Yeah, okay, that’s a bit unfair.”

“You are not the first to judge me for being different. I was not welcome on Gallifrey—and still am not welcome by many—simply because I am human. But I knew I belonged with Andred when I met him. We fit together. And then…we did not.” She looked away from Ace. It bothered her how little she thought of Andred now, but she still clearly remembered those first days after realising the truth about his regeneration and then his death. It had felt like a part of her had died with him.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Ace murmured.

They arrived at the practice range where agents trained with stasers. Ace looked enthusiastic as Leela explained, but as the stasers were locked up, there was nothing they could do there. The next stop was the wardrobe where outfits were stored for when agents had to blend in off world.

“Wardrobe?” Ace asked. “Are there Earth clothes in there?"

"Yes, I think so.”

Ace’s eyes lit up with amusement. “Can we go in?”

It wasn’t locked, so Leela didn’t see why not. Ace located the Earth clothes almost instantly and burst into laughter.

"Look at this!" She showed Leela a top that was hardly existent, bright green, and made out of something that looked like plastic. "Can you imagine a time lord wearing this?”

Leela laughed, despite herself. "No, I cannot.”

Ace found a few more laughable outfits before Leela told her there was still more of the tower to explore. As they went on, Ace loosened up. Leela got the sense that she enjoyed combat and had a loud personality that was so opposite to any time lord.

It was refreshing. And it reminded Leela a little too much of herself.

Ace’s gait was less restrained as they made their way back to Narvin’s office, bouncy with her arms swinging at her sides. Her eyes roamed around like she was trying to commit all the details to memory.

"So…are there any other humans here?" Ace asked eventually.

"No," Leela said. "It is just me…well, us, now.”

"Oh." Ace stuck her hand in her jacket pockets. "What's it like? Do you ever get…I dunno, lonely?”

What a question—but the most important thing for Leela to think about was whether or not she wanted to open up her feelings to Ace when they’d only just met. And yet, Leela already shared something with her that she shared with no one else on Gallifrey: humanity.

"I did. Sometimes, I still do. Most of these time lords are not like the Doctor. They are cold, they like to claim that they do not feel, and they have little compassion.”

Ace laughed without humour. "That sounds like the Doctor anyway."

"Not the Doctor I knew.” Leela cast her mind back to those days. He had been detached, yes, but still compassionate. Still caring, in his own way.

"Yeah, well, he changed.”

Leela watched as Ace frowned, her eyes staring straight ahead like she was seeing old memories. The Doctor had hurt her somehow. If he was still the Doctor, how could he do such a thing?

"Perhaps he sent you here to heal,” Leela suggested.

Ace crossed her arms. "I'm fine."

Leela chuckled. “You criticise him for having no feeling, and yet you try to act the same way.”

Ace let her arms fall back to her sides as she gazed at Leela in surprise. But before anything else could be said, they arrived at Narvin’s office.

Six cans were lined up across his desk.

"Would you care to explain what these are?" Narvin asked, his tone dripping with incrimination and sarcasm.

Ace put on a wide smile. Too wide, perhaps. "No worries, Narvin, it's just deodorant. Wasn't sure if that was something you had on Gallifrey. Do time lords even sweat?”

Narvin ignored her attempt at humour. “Then you won't mind if I take the cap off…”

Ace started forward, hand outstretched. "No!" She froze, then sighed. Narvin raised an eyebrow and smirked in triumph.

“It’s Nitro-9,” Ace admitted.

"Nitro…what?" Leela asked.

“It's… Look, I wasn't trying to blow anything up, those are just in case of emergencies. You never know when you’ll need to chuck one at a Dalek or a Cyberman.”

"They are bombs?” Leela quickly took in the canisters, how close Narvin was standing to them. His eyes flashed to hers, calm, as if telling her that it was all right.

But as he looked back at Ace, his gaze was stone hard. He had already known what they were. "Explosives. Primitive explosives that you brought here to Gallifrey.”

"Narvin," Ace protested, “please believe me, I was just trying to help! It's what I'm good at, all right?"

"Blowing things up?" His voice pitched higher; Narvin had clearly had enough from Ace. "Here on Gallifrey, we do things with a little more finesse.” He spread his arm to indicate the cans. “This is all the evidence I need to have you sent home right now.”

“My only home is with the Doctor! If you even try to put me back on Earth…”

“What?” Narvin towered over her. “You are in no position to argue or bargain.”

Ace’s face grew red, turning from angry to pleading. “Please, Narvin, I _swear_ I won’t touch any explosives the whole time I’m here.” Suddenly, she turned to Leela. “Tell him!”

Leela blinked in surprise. Ace already saw her as an ally, a friend. But was it anything more than simply being of the same species?

Explosives were the weapons of cowards. Leela had lost her sight to an explosion once. And yet…there was a strength that was so obvious in Ace, along with impulsiveness and a longing to be wanted that Leela could understand.

“Give her a chance, Narvin,” Leela said gently, trying to cool them both down. “She meant well.”

Narvin frowned. He met Leela’s eyes, no doubt wondering why she was defending Ace. “The Doctor sent her here for a purpose,” she reminded him.

Narvin rolled his eyes and sighed. “You all treat him like he’s some kind of god.” He winced. “And now there are three of you here that know him,” he muttered.

“Does that mean you’ll let me stay?” A hopeful expression lit up Ace’s face.

“I’m getting rid of these canisters, and there will be _absolutely_ no more experimenting with explosives. Do I make myself clear?”

Ace saluted him gravely. “Sir, yes, sir!”

“And you can get rid of that nonsense.”

Ace dropped her hand and nodded. “Sure thing, Narvin.”

“That’s _Coordinator.”_ He crossed his arms. “I expect you here first thing tomorrow morning to begin your training. I’ll arrange some quarters to be cleared out for you as soon as possible.”

“You can stay with me tonight if your rooms are not ready,” Leela offered.

Ace beamed at her. “Could you teach me knife throwing? I’ve always wanted to do that!”

“It is a useful skill,” Leela said. “I will teach you.”

“Wonderful,” Narvin huffed under his breath as he gathered a stack of papers. “I have a feeling I might come to regret this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though this particular fic may be over, I'm seriously toying with the idea of eventually doing a series set between Enemy Lines and Time War 1 with the gang, just because there's such a big gap and it would be so much fun to explore more of their relationships with Ace in the mix!


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